This proposal requests funding for a research project that will be investigated within the framework of a two-year small grant. The project will describe the service utilization behavior of minority children receiving mental health care in Los Angeles County. Empirical documentatio on minority children is sparse especially in describing how they enter the system, how they pay for services, what treatment they receive, who generally provides treatment, and how they exit the system. This study wil address previous shortfalls in the research literature by examining the use of mental health services among children from the following minority groups Blacks, Mexican Americans, and Asian Americans (Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, and Southeast Asian). Toward this end, this research project has three specific aims: (a) Examin differences between and heterogeneity within ethnic groups in the entry int mental health care for such variables as referral source, payment source, psychiatric diagnosis, legal status, and prior service use; (b) Compare the treatment provided minority and white children in mental health facilities for such variables as types of services and provider characteristics; (c) Analyze the termination of minority and white children from mental health care for such variables as treatment outcome, total service units provided the child, total number of times child did not show for a session, reason for termination, and referrals to another program. This research project proposes to analyze the Los Angeles County Data derived from the Automated Information System (ALS) of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health. This study is limited to persons under the age of 18 who were admitted to an inpatient or outpatient mental health facility in Los Angeles County during January 1, 1983 to December 31, 1988. Analyses will focus on the sociodemographic and organizational factors that influence service utilization among minority children.